The following is a list of books recently or soon-to-be published by members of the Yale community. Descriptions are based on material provided by the publishers.
To submit information about books for this column, send e-mail to opa@yale.edu.
This biography of one of the most influential jazz musician reaches beyond Miles Davis' mythical status to tell the story of his childhood and explore some of the legends surrounding the trumpeter as it describes his mercurial relationships, his depressions and his addiction to heroin. In an article on the book in the Austin American Statesman, John Szwed describes his new book as "a meditation on (Davis') life, one that looks at the variety of meanings that were projected on him."
This study describes how the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) -- created after the Gulf War to unveil and eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction through inspections -- was designed to maintain its independence and authority, and it details the events that occurred as UNSCOM attempted to deal with an intransigent Iraq. Jean Krasno and James Sutterlin outline the special intelligence skills that UNSCOM developed over the years in response to Iraqi tactics. Based on both documentary research and interviews with key players, including UNSCOM inspectors and U.N. ambassadors, the book details the accomplishments of inspectors over the seven-year period they were in Iraq and discloses new information about intelligence-gathering during that time.
In his new book, biblical scholar Paul S. Minear calls for a return to authentic biblical theology. He argues that attention should be paid to the biblical writers and argues that contemporary scholars, often best trained as historians, tend to dismiss those elements of the Bible most relevant to the faith of ancient and contemporary Christians. The book introduces contemporary students to a study of the Bible with God at its heart. "This volume will serve as an indispensable guide not only for understanding the crucial theological issues of the last half-century, but also for engaging these same burning questions in the future," says Brevard S. Childs, Sterling Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Yale.
Designed to introduce students to classical works in an accessible way, "Latin Literature" explores such questions as "What is Latin literature?" and "What does studying Latin literature involve?" The book also highlights the themes of such classical texts as Virgil's "Aeneid" and Livy's "History of Rome," and places them in the wider context of Roman culture. It also explores how such texts related to their wider world.
Winner of the Association of Medical Illustrators Award of Excellence, "Cell Biology" is a textbook that explains the molecular basis of cellular structure and function to advanced undergraduates, medical students and graduate students. Thomas D. Pollard and William C. Earnshaw use clinical examples to illustrate physiological functions, and illustrator Graham Johnson created hundreds of new drawings with accurate molecular sizes and shapes. Pollard and Earnshaw wrote the compact book in succinct text to make the book accessible, and have divided it into eight sections that deal with the major aspects of cellular structure and function.
In 1909, municipal authorities built an airfield in northern Italy and invited leading pilots to compete on it. The show attracted thousands of spectators, including Franz Kafka, Max Brod and Luigi Barzini. In his new book, Peter Demetz tells of what happened on the ground before, during and after the the show, and he explores what flying meant to the pilots in the air. The book also explores what the pivotal moment in history meant to the writers and artists who witnessed it. "Working like a master cabinetmaker, Demetz shapes all the parts of the 1909 air show in northern Italy into a striking, proportioned whole ...," wrote Kirkus Reviews of the new book. "Some things are destined to have a particular symbolism, and Demetz has artfully sensed that this was one of them."
T H I S
So What: The Life of Miles Davis
John Szwed, the John M. Musser Professor of Anthropology, professor of American studies and music
(Heinemann)
The United Nations and Iraq:
Jean Krasno, executive director of the Academic Council on the United Nations Systems, and James S. Sutterlin, lecturer in political science and Yale Center for International and Area Studies
(Praeger Publishers)
The Bible and the Historian
Paul S. Minear, Winkley Professor Emeritus of Biblical Theology
(Abingdon Press)
Latin Literature
Susanna Morton Braund, professor of classics
(Oxford University Press)
Cell Biology
Thomas D. Pollard, the Higgins Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Development Biology, and William C. Earnshaw
(Elsevier Science)
The Air Show at Brescia, 1909
Peter Demetz, Sterling Professor Emeritus of Germanic Language and Literature
(Farrar, Strauss & Giroux)
W E E K ' SS T O R I E S
Susan Hockfield named as Provost
Four Yale College seniors have received prestigious awards for study in Britain
Three scientists named to Sterling chairsFlavell to hold Sterling chair in immunology
Lifton named as Sterling Professor of Genetics
Mellman awarded Sterling post in cell biology
Levin cited for work building town-gown ties
New center will investigate cocaine use among women
Neurobiologists win prestigious Gerard Prize
Online journal brings globalization issues to a broad audience
Belated news: Ecologist Gene Likens wins national honor
Yale-developed technology predicts patients' response to drugs
Group addressing gender-related issues in academia
Renovation of Yale Art Gallery building to begin this summer
'One Day at a Time' series to explore impact of civil rights struggle . . .
O'Neill sisters earn automatic qualification for NCAA track competition
Talk and tour to highlight event honoring birth of Ben Franklin
Yale Books in Brief
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